Ultimate Betrayal
by Battle Ferrets
Summary: YAOI! (Main pairing: YXJ) Life's been good to Yuugi and Jounouchi, but then Yuugi recieves a phone call from Marik. The insane yami has Jou hostage in Cairo, Egypt. The catch? Yuugi has three days to reach his boyfriend... or Jou dies.
1. Chapter 1

   This fic is dedicated to my Hikari, Reana1 on this site, go check her out! *_nudge-nudge-violent-shove_* 

   That done and over with, this is my baby fic… came to me while I was happily singing in the shower *_sweat drops_* So, yah. I decided to make a story with _plot_! *_gasp_* So, read and review!

   **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

   **Warnings:** Yaoi and language, and I think that's all in this chapter… oh! And beware the fluff and angst!

   **Ultimate Betrayal**

   **Chapter One**

   Jounouchi and Yuugi sat on opposite ends of the couch, and not out of dislike for each other, either. Rather, it was because they liked each other so much that they were forced to sit as far away from each other as possible while still managing to sit on the only piece of furniture in the room. Honda and Bakura's strict orders.

   Jounouchi yawned and tried to keep himself interested in the movie, which was particularly hard when his life story was more horrific than the number one movie at the top of the charts.

   "Hand check[1]!" Honda hollered as a scene that was considerably mushy came up on the screen, all the men in the room lifting their hands into the air as quickly as possible. When four pairs of hands were up, the brunette nodded and all hands dropped.

   Despite what it looked like, the hand check was not a game. It was something Honda had come up with to make sure that no groping or fondling was active while the rest of them, he especially, sat unawares in the darkened room while the movie played.

   Jounouchi sighed, putting his hands back into his lap after the rather annoying hand check. Bakura edged away from him, seeming to think that the blonde was attracted to him and would take advantage of the situation despite the frequent and irregular hand checks. Jounouchi couldn't blame him, as the albino was a fairly good looking specimen, making the blonde wonder why the guy didn't have a boyfriend - or, at the very least, a girlfriend, yet. Jounouchi sighed and shifted so that his body was even further away from the edgy albino, trying to keep focused on the movie, a rather old one with poor special effects and all. When it came out, 'The Mummy Returns' had been one of the hottest movies of the millennia. Then technology had taken a leap, skip and a bound and left the poor former high-tech movies as old news.

   Jounouchi glanced over to see Yuugi blanked out, a sure sign that the spirit of his Sennen Puzzle was complaining about something or other about the movie.

   //But aibou[2], this is all wrong,// Yami no Yuugi criticized. //Where are the Yami no Games[3]? Where are the Monsters?//

   Yuugi mentally rolled his eyes, about ready to give up watching the movie and maybe even enjoying it with the once-pharaoh finding fault in absolutely every little thing, from how the gods appeared to the cut of the clothing. /How many times do I have to tell you? It's a _movie_ and nothing more, made for entertainment purposes only,/ He patiently - or maybe not so patiently, explained with his teeth clenched. In all honesty, the voice in his head could really grate his nerves some days. /Meaning that it's not supposed to be true. Besides, not everyone is privileged enough to have a living, breathing pharaoh constantly chatting away in the back of their heads throughout every single thing their vessel's[4] happen to see that may or may not be incorrect./

   Yami caught the sarcasm but couldn't help commenting. //I'm not living nor breathing,// He pointed out, where as Yuugi muttered something like 'luckily for you'. //I am quite dead and that being said, I have no reason to breath now, do I?//

   Yuugi groaned and slammed up mental barriers on the spirit, successfully blocking out all mental conversations and, thank Kami[5], certain three thousand year dead pharaoh's whom seemed to think that they were superior to everyone in that they were always right and their vessel's were always wrong and even when they, meaning the vessel's, were right they were to be ignored as if they had never said anything at all.

   Having blocked out the spirit, Yuugi found that the movie was over and everyone else was up and stretching. Inwardly cursing Yami, he also got up and stretched. Over the last five years he had grown, much to his own relief, and was now about the same height as he should have been back in high school. Meaning that, instead of looking like he was ten or so, he was a healthy five foot five and looked to be sixteen maturity-wise[6]. Which was utter hell when it came to job-hunting. He was still shorter than everyone else in the room, but not so short that he would ever be mistaken for their little brother or, as once had happened in a rather embarrassing moment at the movie theatre, their son, again.

   Jounouchi sent his koiboito[7] a grin and sidled towards Yuugi, trying hard not to catch the ever-watchful eyes of the other two men in the room. Failing miserably, of course.

   "And just where do you think you're going?" Honda demanded, pushing the blonde back onto the couch. He moved his body so that he was between Jounouchi and Yuugi, blocking the couple's view of each other. He sent a look towards Bakura that said a thousand things before he returned his hazel eyes to their former glaring contest with the blonde on the couch. "I will have no contact between the two of you while you are in my house."

   Yuugi cleared his throat and smiled at the brunette when Honda turned to look at the shorter man. "Honda," He started in such a tone that the tallest of the men in the room winced. "Jounouchi and I respect your decision to have no gay relationships in your house, but splitting us up completely is not the answer."

   Jounouchi nodded vigorously, getting up from the couch and stretching once again, his shirt hiking up to give his koi[8] and, coincidentally of course, everyone else in the room a good view of his muscular stomach. "If I had my way, there would be no straight relationships allowed in our apartment," He added, knowing Yuugi fully agreed in that their apartment was not to be used for Honda and Anzu's late night make-out sessions. "Make no mistake, we're both happy that you finally hooked up with Anzu, but the noises you make while kissing - if you can even call it that, is enough to even make me with my stomach of steel feel about to hurl."

   The brunette's mouth opened and closed comically but no sound came out, making it look as though he was kissing a ghost. Jounouchi and Yuugi shared a triumphant look before the blonde crossed the room and wrapped an arm around his short koi.

   Ryou shook his head at the trio's antics before he grabbed his 

* * *

 movie. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to call it a night."

   The other three men in the room turned to look at the quiet-mannered albino. "Of course," Yuugi spoke up, knowing that Bakura's own tomb robbing spirit was probably nagging at him to leave so he could go plunder some drunks pockets. "Thanks for letting us watch the movie."

   Ryou nodded and grabbed his coat, slipping it and his shoes on. Exchanging final farewells with his only friends, he hunkered down into his jacket against the cold blast of air that swept into the room with the opening of the door and stepped out into the night. Yuugi thought he saw, though it could have been a trick of the light, glinting red eyes that meant the spirit of the Ring was on the loose.

   "I think that me and Yuug are going to call it a night as well," Jounouchi spoke, nearly melting in his koiboito's embrace as Yuugi's rather skilled hands caressed his back and shoulders.

   Honda nodded and clapped the two on the back. "Glad you could come over," He said warmly. "Always nice to know your friends haven't forgotten you."

   The couple laughed, separating for a short duration to pull on their jackets and shoes. "Thanks again for inviting us over," Yuugi said gratefully. "We definitely have to do this more often."

   Honda agreed, pulling the two into a warm, brotherly hug. "Anytime, man."

   With a look between the mischievous lovers, Yuugi and Jounouchi delivered a double whammy. "See you later!" Jounouchi called over his shoulder as he and Yuugi stole through the door and out into the night, leaving the stunned brunette standing in the doorway even after the door closed and the couple were long gone. Raising his hands to his cheeks, the realization that his two best friends had just kissed him sunk in. Correction, his two best _guy_ friends.

   "Thanks a whole lot you two!" He called out to the departed koiboito's, dismissing the fact that they couldn't hear him. "Now I have to get a new face!" Growling under his breath about what he was going to do to Jounouchi and Yuugi, he stalked to the bathroom to wash his face.

   And shave. And scrub it raw. And boil it. And kill his two best friends. Though he would wait until later to do the latter. If Anzu ever found out what the two trickster's had done to him...

   He would be dumped quicker than you could say 'gay'.

   ~*~*~*~*~

   Jounouchi and Yuugi were still chuckling even after they were home and settled down on the couch. "Did you see his face?" Jounouchi asked gleefully. "He looked like we socked him one!"

   Yuugi laughed and flung one of his arms around his blonde koiboito's shoulder and snuggled his face into Jounouchi's muscular chest. "If you look at it from his point of view, we may as well have." He laughed quietly. "Poor Anzu, wonder how she'll react if she ever caught wind of her boyfriend being a bisexual?"

   Jounouchi chuckled and wrapped his arms around his slim lover, content for the time being. "Probably the same way she reacted when you turned her down and admitted you were gay," He supplied. Yuugi winced and the couple started to laugh, the room filled with their laughter and their love for each other.

   They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes when Jounouchi spoke. "Hey Yuug," He began, looking into his lovers warm amethyst gaze. "I have something I need to do before it gets much later."

   The shorter man looked up at the blonde and sighed. "It can't wait?"

   Jounouchi smiled and caught Yuugi's lips in a passionate kiss that ignited the fire of love in the younger mans heart. When they parted for much needed air, Yuugi looked as though, should Jounouchi tell him to drink a vial of poison, he would respond with 'How much and what kind?'.

   "No, I would like to get it done tonight."

   Yuugi sighed again and gave his koi a soft kiss before allowing the blonde to get up. "Try to get back before it gets too late?" He pleaded.

   Jounouchi waved a hand in acknowledgement. "Yeah, yeah," He conceded. "Honestly, Yuug, you act like a mother of six stuck at home with the screaming brats with nothing better to do than fine tune those maternal instincts."

   The blonde's koiboito grinned and gave Jounouchi the friendly middle finger. "Just remember that the bed is mine and I willingly let you share it with me," He threatened. Jounouchi grinned and gave Yuugi one last kiss good-bye before heading out the door.

   ~*~*~*~*~

   Yuugi crawled into bed three hours after Jounouchi had left the apartment, unable to stop worrying about the brash blonde with his quick temper and sharp tongue. Despite the reassuring words Yami spoke through their link the young man couldn't help but picture situation after situation that his koi could have gotten himself into.

   The spirit of the Puzzle materialized beside his aibou, wrapping comforting arms around Yuugi and murmuring comforting words into his reincarnations ear. Yuugi smiled gratefully at him and the pharaoh gave a small smile back in spite of himself. No matter the circumstances, the spirit could always find a smile for his beloved light. Yami leaned down on his aibou and gave him a kiss on his forehead to soothe his worried other.

   "I'm being childish, aren't I?" Yuugi asked the spirit, turning his back on the once-pharaoh so that Yami could curl his semi-transparent though quite solid body around Yuugi in a protective and comforting security blanket.

   Yami smiled slightly into Yuugi's hair. "I don't think that worrying for a loved one could be considered childish, but some of the scenarios you are coming up with are very much so," Yami chided gently. "Do you honestly think that a crocodile is going to crawl out of the sewers and drag Jounouchi to his watery grave?"

   Yuugi grinned sheepishly. Despite his being a grown man, he couldn't help the pictures and scenes that flashed through his mind. A rosy blush spread across his cheeks as his other described the scenario running through his mind at the moment to a T. "He probably just got sidetracked and had to stay the night over at Honda's or the like," Yuugi agreed, his violet eyes drooping heavily as sleep, encouraged by stress, threatened to overwhelm him.

   Yami sent a positive wave of emotions through his and Yuugi's link, causing his other to yawn in content and allow his eyes to drift shut. When Yuugi's breathing levelled out, signalling the arrival of sleep, Yami kissed his little light lightly on the lips before returning to the Puzzle with a warm flash of light from the item. Yuugi groaned in his sleep and rolled over.

   Worries put aside, though not completely forgotten, the two look-alikes fell into a deep slumber.

   ~*~*~*~*~

   Soft lips pressed against Yuugi's own, successfully rousing the startled man, though pleasantly so. Honey brown eyes looked back into his own amethyst ones, and the older of the two lovers gave a warm smile to his short koiboito.

   "About time you woke up," The blonde murmured, capturing Yuugi's lips in another passionate kiss. "I was about ready to give you up for the dead," Jounouchi teased, ruffling Yuugi's multi-colored hair gently.

   Yuugi grinned and wrapped both arms around his lovers neck‚pulling him down in yet another kiss, this one full of his delight and love for the blonde. A sudden ringing broke apart their kiss and Yuugi found himself alone in his bedroom, the sun shining directly on his face.

   Sighing in disappointment, Yuugi rolled over to find that Jounouchi hadn't returned home yet. The digital clock beside his bed announced that it was time for him to get up anyway. Mumbling incoherently, he sat up and fell out of bed when the phone gave another tortured cry, the same that had jerked him out of his peaceful dream. Hitting the floor with a muffled thump, he swore loudly and untangled himself from the blankets.

   Dashing out of the bedroom, he tripped on something or other on the floor and was deftly caught by a pair of strong arms. Smiling appreciatively at the once-pharaoh, Yuugi disentangled himself from his other and grabbed the phone, stopping its tortured cries mid-shriek.

   "Moshi-moshi[9], Jounouchi and Mutuo[10] residence," He greeted the caller, twirling the phone cord lazily between his fingers.

   Yami looked at his aibou, who was standing in front of the window that allowed warm sunlight to stream into the room. The suns rays hit Yuugi full on, making his skin glow and surrounding him in a soft nimbus of light. With Yuugi wearing only a pair of black boxers, the once-pharaoh could, and did, envy the blonde who had claimed his little lights heart.

   Sighing deeply, he wrapped his arms around Yuugi, nuzzling his face into his others neck. Noticing how Yuugi flinched away from his touch and how his muscles were tying themselves in knots, Yami backed off.

   Yuugi listened to the voice in the phone, his mind refusing to believe what he was hearing. He turned to look at Yami, seeing the surprise in his others eyes but not registering it, a chill settling deep within his heart.

   Yami took one look at Yuugi's face and immediately became worried. His aibou's face was pale and beaded with sweat, his eyes wide and his mouth slack with shock and disbelief. Concerned, he tried to open the link between them and was surprised when he met a well-guarded barrier that sent him flying back. "Aibou?"

   Yuugi just continued to stare straight ahead, not hearing anything nor registering anything except for the voice on the phone. Quite suddenly, he sank to his knees and the phone dropped out of his hands, clattering noisily on the floor. Even when Yami embraced Yuugi, he did nothing but stare straight ahead and through his other even though the spirit was now quite opaque.

   Without any warning, Yuugi keened and threw himself at the once-pharaoh, wrapping his arms around Yami's neck, tears streaming freely down his face. 

   Yami frowned worriedly at his light. "Shhh," He soothed. "What's wrong?"

   Yuugi stopped crying and leaned back far enough so that he could look Yami in the face, though his gaze stayed directed at the floor. He glanced at the phone like it was a poisonous snake before he shuddered and managed to speak, albeit barely. "That was Yami no Malik," He said shakily, every word obviously a strain on him to get out. "He wants us to come to Egypt immediately to face him."

   Yami snorted softly. "Now why would we do such a thing?" He asked pointedly.

   Yuugi finally raised his eyes to Yami, and in them the spirit saw such hopelessness and despair that he winced and leaned away from his other. "We have no choice in the matter," He said firmly, eyes welling with tears again. "He has Jounouchi and says that if we're not in Cairo by sunset three days from now, he'll kill him."

   ~*~*~*~*~

   [1] This is an actual thing that happened on a French trip I missed out on... the teacher had to take along a dating boy and girl and so of course they insisted on sitting together. Well, every once in a while- the kids never knew when the next one was going to be- the teacher would call for a 'hand check' to make sure all hands were not anywhere they shouldn't have been. Well, one time the teacher called for it and I guess the guy had just been reaching between the seat and the back (where the seat-belts come from) to grab something or other (I think it was a chocolate bar or something) and he, of course, being the idiotic male he is, called out "Hang on a sec!"... Enough said, no?

   [2]Aibou- 'Partner' in Japanese, used mainly by Yami no Yuugi as a title to Yuugi. Yami, as far as I know, _never_ called Yuugi by his name.

   [3]Yami no Games- The Shadow Games. If I were to do a full Japanese translation, it would be Yami no Yuugi, but that's what I'm calling Yami in this story (well, sometimes) so therefore the Shadow games will be referred to as the Yami no Games.

   [4]Vessel- this is what the bearers of the items are to the spirits of the Sennen Items. In Japanese they are called Yadonushi, or landlords, by the spirits of the items. (I have also heard them [the spirits] call their vessels 'omote', and if anyone knows what that means, please be so kind as to inform me.) It is mainly Yami no Bakura that uses this on Ryou Bakura, but Yuugi is rather sarcastic at the moment and so is thinking that way when Yami is being Pharaonic (Aka: Moronic... bad pun! .-. *_Runs from groaning reviewers/readers_* My bad!) about the movie. 

   [5]Kami- also Kami-sama. Translates into 'God'. Marik likes to think that this title applies to him (As well as Ore-sama, more on that in later chapters), but don't tell him I think otherwise! ~.-.^

   [6] In my story, it is five years after Battle City; making the gang around the age of about twenty-one... you grasp the concept?

   [7] koiboito- basically translates into 'lover'

   [8] koi- I'm not too sure on this one, but I think it is basically the shortening of koiboito and translates into 'love' (as in a person referring to another person)

   [9] Moshi-moshi- how you answer the phone in Japan... basically hello

   [10]Remember that in Japan they introduce everyone by their last names first so 'Jounouchi' is actually Katsuya's last name while Katsuya is his first. Ya dig?

   Well, there's Chapter 1, below is Chappie 2 trailer, and below that is the purple button. 'Nough said. Criticism, compliments, flames, whatever; review. 

   ---Jasper

   **Chapter Two Trailer:**

   On the second day, the cops showed up. Yuugi's face paled but quickly filled up with relief when he found out that he was not the cause for their visit, though his face paled for the second time in not even ten minutes when he found out the real reason of the visit.

   "There were a number of brutal murders over in Babylon last night, and all of them have had three notes pinned to the bodies in various places addressed to your room number. If you would have a look at them, we would be extremely grateful," A thin man with grey eyes asked Yuugi.

   Yuugi agreed cautiously, his eyes widening at the sheer amount of notes that fell out of the bag that the cops partner had with him. "Each body had three notes?" He asked in mingled disgust and disbelief.

   The other cop, also thin, though with livelier blue eyes, nodded. "Yep, so you can just imagine how much we want to catch this guy."

   Yuugi idly thought that he probably could imagine twenty times more how much they wanted to catch the killer, because, even though he wasn't one hundred percent sure about it, he was after the same guy - though for a very different reason.

   Looking at the notes, he found that, besides his address, there was only one word on each. 

   /Sweet Kami, he killed someone for every third word, mou hitori no boku,/ Yuugi told Yami in repulsed awe. /Just to deliver us a message./ 

   Yami nodded, his words as sharp as knives. //He wasn't kidding around when he said he would kill Jounouchi, aibou,// He reminded his light. //Twenty dead bodies is nothing to him.//

   Yuugi nodded, though to the cops it looked as if to himself. He glanced at the notes before looking pointedly at the men. "Do you think you could come back tonight, so that I have some time to look over these and see if I can decipher them?"

   The cops excused themselves for a few minutes, no doubt to discuss if they could trust the battered, bruised, and tired man with the only evidence they had of the killer. They came back, the younger of the two looking rather put out. "You have until nine tonight," He complied. "Good luck. You are the only hope we have."


	2. Chapter 2

   Chapter Two… and finally! Took me long enough, ne? And to think I've had it done for little over two weeks! *_dodges multiple thrown objects_* Well, it's here now!

   Dedicated to my Hikari!(No dah!)

   **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

   **Warnings:** Yaoi, cursing, perverted-ness, violence, mentions of mutilation and rape (You have to look between the lines for the latter). And angst galore!

   **Ultimate Betrayal**

**   Chapter Two**  

   The next few hours were a blur in Yuugi's eyes. The only thing he was really aware of was receiving reassurance and support from voices that were familiar - though he was in too much shock to place names to them, and rushing around to various places and finally arriving at an airport where they were scheduled to make a night trip to Alexandria before getting a military escort to Cairo. How the arrangements were made, Yuugi hadn't the slightest idea. His world consisted of himself and the thoughts of his blonde koiboito; everyone else was barely acknowledged and he barely spoke to any of them the entire flight.

   Yami continuously tried to get his vessel to come out of the protective shell he had wrapped himself in him with no luck. He tried to convince Yuugi to allow him control, but those pleas went through one ear and out the other, if they ever even registered or not was unknown to him. He was sorely tempted to use other means to make his light snap out of it, but he refrained and simply gave his reincarnation a forceful nudge once in a while.

   Yuugi had - though he couldn't remember it now, phoned Honda, Anzu and Bakura to accompany him on his last moment journey to claim back Jounouchi. Unbeknownst to Yuugi, his friends had supplied the money to pay all expenses, making the trip a freebie - at least for him. 

   Flight three touched down in Alexandria at one in the morning, and all of nine people got off. Yuugi and his friends were split into pairs. Honda with Bakura and Anzu with Yuugi, Anzu and Honda agreeing that the spirit's of the two men's item's probably wouldn't like to be cooped up in a relatively small vehicle for half a day. They were loaded into the awaiting Humvee's, their luggage was put in the trunks and they were off, silence hovering over group with only the droning of the engines breaking the tension.

   Yuugi stared out the window at the passing scenery - sand and more sand - and tried to keep his mind off of the situation he had been flung into quite suddenly. He hadn't asked to have Jounouchi abducted and he definitely hadn't asked Yami no Malik to come back from the supposed dead and threaten his life and that of his koiboito's. Though Yuugi wasn't quite ready to admit it, he had been falling in love with the goofy blonde.

   Looking back, he found that Jounouchi had always been there for him. There were seldom few memories that didn't have the outgoing man in them. Jounouchi had been there for him throughout high school, during all of Duelist Kingdom and Battle City, and hadn't left his side since. Now that he was gone, Yuugi felt incomplete and strangely dirty.

   Anzu and Yuugi sat in silence for the longest time before the brunette turned to her former crush - well, the reincarnation of her former crush, to try and get him to talk; only to find that he had dozed off during his remembrance. Heaving a sigh, she turned to look out her own window and wished for Jounouchi's well-being and Yami no Malik's permanent demise. Soon she too dozed off, her head falling back and her breathing getting shallower.

   In the other vehicle, Honda and Bakura were discussing Jounouchi. "You'd think he would be able to keep out of trouble, wouldn't you?" Honda was saying, scratching the back of his head in puzzlement. "He was, after all, in a gang not that many years ago. Even though he dropped the gang, the street fighter has always been a part of him. Me and him both I suppose[1]," He said softly, the last part mostly to himself.

   Ryou shook his head. "In case you have forgotten, Yami no Malik has the Sennen Rod[2]. With it he could have made Jounouchi into a puppet, to hell that Jounouchi had broken free of it once before. Yuugi isn't there now, so Jounouchi is alone. For now, at least," Ryou said with a hint of bitterness.

   Honda nodded. "Too true," He said sadly before looking up. "But not for long. After all, what are friends for if not to help out when you're in a tight spot. And how much tighter can you get then having a death threat over your head and under the hospitality of a madman?"

   They rode in silence for a while before Ryou spoke again. "You don't suppose that-" He started before he cut off what he was saying rather quickly and looked down, snowy bangs falling over his eyes.

   Honda glanced over at his albino friend. "Suppose what?"

   Ryou shook his head. "Never mind," He glanced at the brunette out of the corner of his eye. "Why don't we get some sleep? It's rather early in the morning and who knows what we'll have to deal with when we arrive in Cairo?"

   Honda agreed quickly and bid Bakura good night, his companion replying shortly and turning to look out the window, though he showed no intent of going to sleep. Mentally shrugging, Honda settled down and quickly fell asleep. Had he looked harder at Bakura, he might have noticed the glint in the now ruby eyes.

  "Yes," Yami no Bakura hissed. "Sleep well, foolish mortal, for just who knows _what_ we'll have to deal with when we arrive in Cairo?" He chuckled quietly to himself and looked out the window, occupying himself in a discussion with the darkness.

   ~*~*~*~*~

   Yuugi jolted awake out of his horror-filled nightmares to see a face swimming above his. Near panic, he only calmed down slightly when he realized that it was the driver trying to get a glimpse up Anzu's skirt. Not wanting to let the driver know he had seen his little perverted activities, he yawned and rubbed his eyes sleepily. The driver glanced sharply at Yuugi and visibly relaxed when he fell for the young mans trick, instead making it look like he was about to wake Yuugi up.

   "Good, you're up," He said gruffly. "Wake your friend and get out. We don't have time to wait on you any longer." With that, he hauled their luggage into the building they were parked in front of.

   Yuugi yawned again - real this time, and shook Anzu gently. She woke with a start but quickly relaxed when she saw Yuugi's familiar amethyst eyes. She smiled gently, not sure if Yuugi had snapped out of his melancholy. Her smile broadened when he gave a weary smile back, not exactly cheerful, but it was more then anyone had gotten out of him since Yami no Malik's phone call.

   "We're here," He said shortly, getting out and starting towards the building. Anzu glanced around quickly and, seeing the hungry looks the drivers were sending her way, hurried after Yuugi.

   "Sleep well?" She asked as they walked up to what she assumed to be a hotel.

   Yuugi recalled the horrors that had flashed through his mind and nodded. "I guess I was too worried to dream or be uncomfortable," He lied easily, plastering another false smile on his face. If he didn't keep up a semblance of normalcy his friends wouldn't allow him to help search for Jounouchi, even if it was him and his other that Yami no Malik wanted.

   Not wanting to discuss what was obviously a painful topic for Yuugi, Anzu merely nodded and focused on pointedly not looking around, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Who knew that Egypt was so full of perverted old men?

   The two rejoined Bakura and Honda in the hotel, exchanging formalities that were awkward in what usually was a tight knit group - though that had been when Jounouchi had been around. If they took a moment to consider it they would realize that if not for Jounouchi none of the would have met.

   After a rather heated argument between Bakura and the front desk - all in Arabian, of course, they managed to get a decent room for a fair price, or so Bakura assured them. "These stupid ahou's[3] nowadays are enough to make me sick," He commented as they made their way up to the second story where their room was located. "If my father ever bargained like that he would make no money at all."

   Honda turned slightly widened eyes onto his albino friend. "You mean you conned him out of money?" He asked disbelievingly.

   Ryou turned hurt eyes on the brunette. "What? The price he was asking for was outrageous, and we haggled until he was satisfied that I was being ripped off." He smirked. "Of course, he doesn't realize that I had meant Egyptian currency and not Japanese."

   He was met with surprised stares. "Bakura!" Anzu exclaimed, a horrified expression on her face. "You barely paid him enough for the cheapest room in this hotel!"

   Ryou laughed. " I know, but it may teach that baka[4] to not count his chickens before they hatch," He said rather ruefully, a smirk that would be at home on Yami no Bakura's face slipping quite easily onto his.

   Yuugi watched and listened to the entire show with disinterest. All that he cared about was that Jounouchi made it back into his arms no worse for wear than when he had left the apartment the night of his capture. 

   Yuugi looked up from the floor to find that they had arrived in their room and that his friends were roaming around and looking at the decor. After a moment's hesitation he joined them.

   The accommodations were rather expensive, and he had the feeling that the clerk was going to be more than a mite ready to kill them when they were through using the room. The room consisted of three curtained off two person beds, a wide screen television, a wide window overlooking a rather nice view of the city from the sheer cliff they were perched on, two dressers in between the beds, a lamp on each bedside table, a rather nice rug on the floor and some more cheap imitation paintings on the wall.

   He poked his head into the bathroom and found it to be lavished with money. The four person hot tub itself was enough to be dropping jaws over, but add the four shelves lined with toiletries, the golden plated everything and the closet full of towels, bathrobes, and washcloth's; add all those together and you had a very ripped off hotel manager.

   His lips tugged in what could have been a smile had he put more effort into it. He shook his head and backed out of the bathroom, claiming one of the beds as his own by slamming his suitcase on it with a finality that was not to be argued with.

   Honda and Anzu took the middle bed and Ryou took the one by the window. None of them thought it safe to have the tomb robber by the door and they thought that with the two-story drop plus the sheer cliff he wouldn't try the window. 

   "Who here is starving?" Honda asked after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence between his friends. Without Jounouchi what they were doing seemed, well, downright wrong. 

   Everyone put up their hand and Honda ordered some room service, hoping that the food would be a reasonable price and that they wouldn't end up spending more on food than on the room.

   ~*~*~*~*~

   Yuugi wandered around the city, peering at what the street vendor's had to offer, though, like his body, his mind wandered with no direction. As it was, he barely missed a run in with a nasty looking dog who seemed to think that tri-coloured hair and leather was downright stupid. Yuugi was inclined to agree with it, about the leather, at least. He was sweating and finally decided to shop around for some clothing more weather appropriate.

   It was while doing this that he bumped into a very old acquaintance that he would have rathered never have seen again.

      He was carrying, rather awkwardly too, sixteen robes for himself and his friends - which, he might add, had cost him more then they could possibly be worth; when he ran into something, white robes flying everywhere. He cursed and picked himself up, dusting himself off and cursing some more, his eyes widening when he saw that all sixteen white robes, save one, had landed on the person he had run into. The person sat on the ground covered in fifteen robes with one beside him, the finished effect making him look like a very badly thought out horror movie monster.

   He apologized hurriedly and quickly started to take the robes off the man, all the while trying not to die from the heat from both the sun and the blush that was threatening to spread over his cheeks. His mouth dropped open when the last robe had been carefully folded and placed back into the safety of his arms and he abruptly dropped them again when he saw the not-so-stranger's face.

   "Sh-sh-shadi!" He managed to get out, staring down at the spirit like he had just seen a, well, ghost.

   Shadi took no notice of how flustered he was making the youth nor of the fact he was still sitting on the ground, simply holding out a bag, which Yuugi took from him. "Beware, you should go back," He said in a dead voice. Shadi was the only person that Yuugi knew who could deliver a death warning while sitting on the ground and still manage to be intimidating. "Things are not as they appear here and you are in more danger from yourself then your assumed enemy." He was suddenly on his feet and walking - well, gliding or whatever it was that spirits did, away.  

   Yuugi took only enough time to gather up the robes, which had eaten deep into his wallet before chasing after the spirit.

   "Wait! What do you mean?" He panted as he caught up. Shadi stopped walking and stared forward for a few minutes, taking no notice of the out of breath man beside him. Finally, after what seemed to be forever in Yuugi's mind, he turned and looked down at him.

   "Do not open the bag until you find out the truth. Open it too soon, and you and the Pharaoh are done." He said in the cryptic way that, at the moment, made Yuugi want to drive his fist deep into Shadi's face. Warning completed, Shadi disappeared, leaving Yuugi standing lost in the middle of the street holding an armful of robes and a bag that weighed absolutely nothing.

   Yuugi started to swear violently in Japanese - several Arabians turning surprised and slightly disturbed eyes on him, and he stalked off to find someone who knew how to speak Japanese. Shadi just _had_ to go and get him lost in the middle of a major city in the middle of a damned desert where he knew no-one except for the other three people who were fast asleep back at the hotel, didn't he?

   Growling some more, Yuugi glared at anyone who dared look at him the wrong way. May the gods help the person who made the mistake of asking if something was wrong.

   ~*~*~*~*~

   When Yuugi had gotten back, he had explained about his run in with Shadi, looking straight at Bakura as he explained that the bag the Sennen Ankh bearer had given him was not to be opened under _any_ circumstances by anyone other than himself. He then gruffly told them he was going to bed and not to wake him until the police came to find him. This left them wondering exactly what their friend had done that would have the cops, or Egypt's version of them, after him.

   It wasn't until that night that they realized they had no idea as to where they were supposed to meet Yami no Malik. Yuugi screamed in frustration and quite blatantly ordered the tomb robber out of hiding so that he could beat the shit out of him. He gave the excuse for not trashing the room instead of the spirit that he didn't want to pay more than he absolutely had to and once again threatened the spirit of the Sennen Ring's life.

   Yami no Bakura came out chuckling. "My, aren't we in a bad mood? What's the matter, shrimp, scared of what the big bad guy is going to do to your pathetic lapdog?"

   Yuugi merely grinned and tackled the surprised tomb robber, catching him off guard and driving his fist into his gut, making Yami no Bakura choke and gasp for breath. Bakura's other snarled and tried to squirm out from under the extremely pissed off man that was on top of him, Yuugi fuelled by anger, loyalty and love that made him stronger than the tomb robber could have imagined he could be.

   "What's the matter, tomb robber? You aren't going to let a little shrimp like me beat you up so badly, are you?" Yuugi asked bitterly, his fists striking the spirit again and again. Yami no Bakura spat at his rival's reincarnation and, with a little bit of luck, got a leg under the lighter man. With a triumphant grin, he sent Yuugi flying up and over his head, said amethyst-eyed man crashing into the wall with a rather heavy thump.

   Honda and Anzu stood helplessly on the sidelines as Yuugi and Bakura went head to head in an all out dirty fight. Yuugi stumbled to his feet after connecting with the wall and flew at Bakura, feinting to the right and connecting with a well-placed left hand uppercut. They continued on for about five minutes when Yuugi used Bakura's own move against him and sent him flying into the wall.

   There might have been a lot more had a knock not come on the door. Yami no Bakura quickly gave up his vessels battered body to the rightful owner, though he would be damned if he would ever admit it out loud. Bakura winced as he settled back into his familiar body, with an additional couple of bruises, cuts, and black eye. He made a mental note to remind Yuugi that what he did to the tomb robber did affect the vessel, especially when the spirit made sure that the vessel's body took all the hits.

   Yuugi stood up just as the room service boy poked his head in. "Is everything alright in here?" He asked worriedly, looking at Yuugi and Ryou with a pained expression, noting the cut across the shorter mans cheek and the black eye that the albino now displayed.

   Honda started to say something when Yuugi cut him off, laughing softly. "Everything is perfectly fine. In fact, things couldn't be any better." 

   ~*~*~*~*~

   The tomb robber and Yuugi went at it a couple more times until Ryou stepped in and did as his mental note told him too and put a stop to the entire thing. Yuugi apologized profusely, though he was starting to look pointedly at Ryou more and more, as if daring the spirit to show his face for a single moment.

   On the second day, the cops showed up. Yuugi's face paled but quickly filled up with relief when he found out that he was not the cause for their visit, though his face paled for the second time in not even ten minutes when he found out the real reason of the visit.

   "There were a number of brutally murders over in Babylon last night, and all of them have had three notes pinned to the bodies in various places addressed to your room number. If you would have a look at them, we would be extremely grateful," A thin man with dull eyes asked Yuugi.

   Yuugi agreed cautiously, his eyes widening at the sheer amount of notes that fell out of the bag that the cops partner had with him. "Each body had three notes?" He asked in mingled disgust and disbelief.

   The other cop, also thin, though with more lively eyes, nodded. "Yep, so you can just imagine how much we want to catch this guy."

   Yuugi idly thought that he probably could imagine twenty times more how much they wanted to catch the killer, because, even though he wasn't one hundred percent sure about it, he was after the same guy - though for a very different reason.

   Looking at the notes, he found that, besides his address, there was only one word on each. 

   /Sweet Kami, he killed someone for every third word, mou hitori no boku[5],/ Yuugi told Yami in repulsed awe. /Just to deliver us a message./ 

   Yami nodded, his words as sharp as knives. //He wasn't kidding around when he said he would kill Jounouchi, aibou,// He reminded his light. //Twenty dead bodies is nothing to him.//

   Yuugi nodded, though to the cops it looked as if to himself. He glanced at the notes before looking pointedly at the men. "Do you think you could come back tonight, so that I have some time to look over these and see if I can decipher them?"

   The cops excused themselves for a few minutes, no doubt to discuss if they could trust the battered, bruised, and tired man with the only evidence they had of the killer. They came back, the younger of the two looking rather put out. "You have until nine tonight," He complied. "Good luck. You are the only hope we have."

   They left and Yuugi spread the notes on the dresser beside his bed, preparing himself for six hours of uninterrupted study of the notes. Of course, he hadn't counted on the spirit of the Sennen Ring.

   A pale hand swept off all of Yuugi's hard work two and a half hours into his project onto the floor. Yuugi groaned and allowed his head to fall onto the dresser. "Can't you go pillage some poor street vendor's pockets or something?" He asked in annoyance, glaring up at Yami no Bakura. "Or do you have a death wish?"

   Bakura laughed and peered over the youths shoulder. "Looks like Yami no Malik's been busy, anyhow." He looked thoughtful for a moment, a wonder in itself in Yuugi's mind. "I wonder if he needs any help?"

   Yuugi picked up the pieces of paper that Bakura had swept onto the floor, putting them back where he thought they were supposed to go. "I don't know, but if you ever find out where he's hiding, let me know."

   Bakura snorted. "As if," He said curtly, though whether he was answering to knowing where Marik was hiding or to actually letting Yuugi know was lost to the short man.

   Yuugi rolled his eyes and looked pointedly at Yami no Bakura. "Mou hitori no boku says that if you don't get lost in the next three seconds he's going to sick Fluffy[6] on you."

   The tomb robber's eyes widened and he quickly relinquished control back to Bakura. Ryou shook his head, confused at the show of cowardice from his other and the urgency with which he had given him back his body. "Who's Fluffy?" 

   Yuugi shrugged. "I'll be damned if I know, but mou hitori no boku says that we may find out soon enough, if things keep up as they have been." Dismissing the entire thing with another shrug, he turned back to the little pieces of paper in front of him, now over the fact that some of them had drops of blood on them. "Damned pieces of paper, how the hell am I supposed to decipher this?"

   Ryou, copying his other unconsciously, leaned over Yuugi's shoulder and looked curiously at the little pieces of paper, his eyes widening. "Yuugi!" He exclaimed, looking incredulously at the short man. 

   "What?" Yuugi asked, looking up at Ryou's face in confusion.

   Ryou groaned and shook his head in disbelief. "It's written in hieroglyphics, how can you read it?"

   Yuugi looked from Bakura to the pieces of paper to Bakura again. He shrugged and grinned sheepishly; a light blush covered his features. 

   Ryou sighed in exasperation and threw up his arms, stalking over to his bed and falling facedown on it. Yuugi shook his head and smiled slightly, looking back at the pieces of paper that looked to have clearly defined Japanese words sprawled across them in spidery handwriting.

   "When I find out, I'll let you know," He murmured, more to himself than to the softly snoring Bakura, once again fully concentrating on the little slips of paper in front of him.

   ~*~*~*~*~

   Gentle fingers ran through his hair and Yuugi shuddered, leaning into the touch with a soft whimper. He knew that it was just a dream but he didn't want it to end; being with his koi in nothing but dreams was better than being completely alone while awake.

   But as all dreams, his current one faded away as awareness crept upon him and stole him from his peaceful slumber. Moaning in frustration, he rolled over and promptly fell out of bed.

   Swearing loudly, he got up and glanced at the clock, eyes widening when he saw that it was nearly eight-thirty. He looked around the room and saw that everyone else had their attention wrenched from what was currently on the television to stare in surprise and mirth at the rudely awakened Yuugi. He glared at them once and cursed again, though this time under his breath, and looked at the slips of paper once again.

   It slowly dawned on him that he had completed the message and he pumped a fist in the air before reading the now understandable message. His joy quickly faded away when he realized just what was written.

   _Time is running out, little Game. Jackal bought you a bouquet of five red roses, did you know that? For your fifth anniversary. How disgustingly cute. By the way, you are to be in old Cairo by nine sharp tomorrow or Jackal here dies. Sleep well, little Game, because I can guarantee you that you will never sleep again. Goodnight._

   ~*~*~*~*~

   [1]In case you didn't know, in the manga, Jounouchi and Honda were part of a gang. They weren't always friends with Yuugi and were actually bullies of his. You should see them fight! The stupid dubbers always cut the screenshots out where they actually connect, but I highly recommend going and searching for some… those two know how to kick serious ass!

   [2]Just so you know, I am referring to the Items as the Sennen Items, which is the actual title to them, meaning 'thousand year items', hence the Sennen Rod, Sennen Ring, Sennen Puzzle, etc.

   [3]ahou- fool in Japanese

   [4]baka- idiot in Japanese, a very strong insult

   [5]mou hitori no boku- 'the other me'… what Yuugi calls Yami in the manga

   [6]You will get to meet Fluffy in later chapters… I have read two other stories mentioning this name, and in one Fluffy was a Blue-Eye White Dragon and in the other he was a pet snake @.-.@

   Review!

   ---Jasper

   **Chapter Three Trailer:**

   Yuugi nodded and turned around. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," He started in Japanese, the two men's eyes widening as they realized that their talk hadn't been as confidential as they had first thought. "And I was wondering if you would enlighten me on something?"

   It was amazing at how getting caught doing something could sober a man. They looked at each other, the same thought going through their minds. _Cop._ Yuugi was willing to let them keep on believing that. "Why, sure, what did you want to know?" Scratchy finally said after High-pitched nodded his permission.

   Yuugi mentally rolled his eyes. "From what my sources tell me, the murders happened in Babylon, but suddenly I hear that they were committed here in Old Cairo from you. Care to tell me why they differ?" 

   He arched an eyebrow in question when the two men laughed. High-pitched finally managed to get himself under control and answered. "No offence, sir, but Old Cairo and Babylon are the exact same. When they built this here city they renamed the Old Cairo as Babylon and gave this city Cairo."

   Yuugi's eyes widened and his heart nearly dropped through the bottom of his feet. He quickly thanked the two men and rushed off to gather Anzu, Honda and Bakura.

   They were in the wrong city, and had only an hour to get to Babylon, nearly an hour and a half away driving twenty over the speed limit. Needless to say, he was panicked and downright pissed off at both himself for being so stupid not to cross reference their meeting place and at Yami no Malik for purposely leading him around by the nose.


	3. Chapter 3

Geez! It took me long enough to get this chappie up, ne? *_sweat drop_* Well, here is Chapter three, in all its badly written angsty-ness! I'm completely sorry I didn't have it up sooner, but I couldn't get on a computer with Microsoft Word to edit it! Never again as it's on one of my home computers now!

Dedicated to my hikari, Reana! I'm coming to see you!!! *_grins_*

**Disclaimer:** I. Own. Absolutely. Nothing. *_sob_*

**Warnings:** Violence, language, angsty-ness, shounen ai and a rather gag worthy fluff scene!

**Ultimate Betrayal**

Chapter Three

When the cops arrived at nine, Yuugi told them that he couldn't translate the hieroglyphics. They nodded and thanked him for his time. When he was positive they were out of earshot, he rounded on Bakura. The albino man took one look at Yuugi's face and quickly gave control over to the tomb robber.

Yami no Bakura was so surprised at being willingly given control that when Yuugi came flying at him that he was too late to stop the enraged young man from catching him sharply in the jaw with enough force to actually lift him off his feet a few inches. He fell to the ground and stayed there, looking up at the panting young man and calmly spitting out a wad of blood from his nearly severed tongue.

"I take it you figured it out?" He asked, calmly kicking the legs from under Yuugi and pinning him to the floor. Yuugi struggled and threw a punch into Yami no Bakura's gut, causing the tomb robber to let out all his breathe and collapse on top of the smaller man. Yuugi threw him off and quickly got up.

"No thanks to you," He spat, delivering a swift kick into Yami no Bakura's side. "You knew what it said the entire time, didn't you?"

Bakura took the blow before scissoring his legs and knocking Yuugi to his knees. He quickly had him up against the bed. He slammed a fist into Yuugi's face for good measure before answering. "Of course I did, but you didn't think I was going to ruin the fun by telling you, now, did you?"

Yuugi tried to tell the stars in front of his face to scram without much luck. He finally just closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You know where Jounouchi is?" He asked hopefully.

"No," Bakura said truthfully, digging his fingers into Yuugi's shoulders since the shorter man had decided to stop fighting. "But I know where he will be,"

Yuugi squeezed his eyes tighter, refusing to open them and allow Yami no Bakura the pleasure of seeing the hope that would undoubtedly be shining within them. "Where?" He managed to choke out after he had, with much difficulty, swallowed his pride.

"Where all dead bodies go, in the grave," Bakura replied malevolently, a smirk on his lips as he saw the hopefulness on Yuugi's face die and his blazing amethyst eyes spring open.

Yuugi made a sound never meant to come out of a human mouth, it sounded much like a lions snarl, and smashed his forehead into Bakura's, sending the tomb robber backwards. Yuugi was up and on him in a second, pinning his shoulders to the ground and digging a knee between his legs. 

Yami no Bakura yelped in pain and wriggled to break free of the infuriated young mans grip, the first hints that he should maybe reconsider his little brawl with Yuugi creeping upon him. He quickly shoved it away and doubled his efforts, even going so far as to bite Yuugi's arm, with no effect.

Yuugi felt the flare of pain in his left arm, a welcome distraction to the pain he felt in his heart. As Bakura started to grind his teeth into Yuugi's forearm, Yuugi focused on the red-hot burning spreading throughout his arm. He grunted when Bakura's unnaturally pointed canine teeth broke through his skin, jerking his arm out of his bite range.

He picked Bakura up by the fabric of his shirt, slamming him back into the ground before picking him up and repeating this same action over and over again. Bakura's head snapped back and forth, his efforts to keep his head from slamming into the carpet ineffective.

Yuugi finally stopped and rolled off of Yami no Bakura, wrapping his arms around his knees and rocking back and forth. He keened, hot tears streaming down his flushed face. Immediately his three friends were at his side - Ryou having possession of his body once again and willing to forgive Yuugi for the now numerous injuries inflicted to him - and wrapped comforting arms around him or simply placed a hand on his shoulder to let him know that they were there.

The Puzzle let out a bright flash of light and suddenly the once-pharaoh held Yuugi in his arms, murmuring words of comfort and reassurance into his reincarnation's ear. The look in his eyes made the others back off, sitting a ways from the spirit, not trusting themselves to say or do anything.

~*~*~*~*~

The phone call came at two o'clock in the afternoon, and if not for the unfortunate breakdown that Yuugi suffered and recovered from, no one would have been able to answer the gentle rings that were so unlike Yuugi's home phone. As it was, Yuugi barely managed to get out of the shower fast enough to answer it with a hasty greeting.

"Moshi-moshi indeed," The voice on the other end drawled. Yuugi's knee's gave out and he collapsed onto the bed, a deju-vu to the first phone call he had received on that unforgettable morning. Yami was roused out of sleep by the cold- no, cold wasn't a descriptive enough word for the absolute darkness and isolation that chilled his bones; and he 8immediatly took over for his light. Yuugi wouldn't be able to handle another confrontation and Yami knew this all too well.

"What the hell do you want?" Yami hissed into the phone, his hands tightening around the phone in a death grip.

A chuckle from the other line, completely devoid of any shred of sanity. "Em sen-jay, Pair-ah![1]" Marik soothed in Old Egyptian. "I was only going to tell your vessel where to reclaim his koiboito," Another chuckle, higher pitched this time but just as lacking in sanity as the first. "You should hear him beg and cry when I tell him time is running out for him and his boyfriend. It's absolute music to my ears!"

Yami grit his teeth and winced when they ground together, something which only made Marik laugh louder. "Tell me what you want and leave us alone," He managed to grate out.

When Marik managed to get ahold of himself he mock-sniffled. "Why, Pharaoh, you've hurt my feelings," Yami no Yuugi snorted and merely told him to get on with it. "In such a rush to find out where you are going to die, aren't we?" Marik mocked, his less than sane grin evident even through the phone.

Yami growled and closed his eyes, trying to make his hand relax when he heard the plastic crunch in his hand. _You would have thought they would have had gold phones with the price they were asking for the room_, Yami noted absently and for no reason whatsoever other than he didn't want to hear what he inevitably knew Yami no Malik was going to say. "Either hurry up and speak or else I'll enlist other means of help to track you down and finish you off once and for all."

"Tch, tch, tch," Marik taunted, the image of his finger waving back and forth in front of Yami's face like a parent scolding their child painfully evident in the once-pharaoh's mind. "In such a rush to kill your other's koi, aren't you? Tell me, Pharaoh, do you envy the blonde? Do you wish him dead so that you can once again have your little Game[2] all to yourself again?"

Yami was about to speak when he felt Yuugi look up in horror from the corner of their mind he had sought sanctuary in from the voice of the madman on the other end of the phone. _No!_ Yami thought in dismay, _Ra knows that it's not true! For Ra's sake, Yuugi, don't believe a word that comes out of his disgusting and filthy mouth!_

Yuugi seemed to get the gist of his thoughts without having to snoop and find out if Yami no Malik's accusations had hit a sore spot or if they were completely bogus. /Don't worry, mou hitori no boku[3], I don't believe him,/ Yuugi reassured the spirit, though the hint of doubt that hid within his tone nearly broke Yami's heart.

"I'd wish for Ammut[4] to devour your soul, but even a creature such as her doesn't deserve such a punishment," Yami spat, desperately trying to hold tears back. It surprised him, after all these years, that the simple fact that his other half doubted his word was enough to bring him close to tears. 

Maniacal laughter bubbled out of the phone, poisoning Yami and Yuugi's ears with its utter darkness. Marik evidently found what Yami said to be unbearably funny because he continued for a couple of minutes before halting so suddenly Yami couldn't help but wonder if he had literally laughed his head off.

A chuckle came through the line and Marik's voice followed soon afterwards. "Enough of the chit-chat," He said, all business now, though there was an underlying tone of utmost amusement. "Meet me at the well in the Town Square in Old Cairo at sunset and we'll strike a deal."

A click and the dead monotone of the phone signaled that their conversation was over. A sharp crack filled Yami's ears and he indifferently realized he had just crushed the phone.

~*~*~*~*~

When Yuugi's three friends returned, Yuugi explained what they had missed out on and was met with quick and heartfelt apologies for not being there. They all glanced warily at the destroyed phone but wisely decided not to ask too many questions. Of course, a certain tomb robber had different morals and evidently didn't give a damn about emotions.

"So in other words, you're going to meet him at the well, he's going to kill you and then kill that make inu[5] anyway," He glanced at them all with a pointed look. "Am I missing something or is this a suicide mission?"

Yuugi snorted at the tomb robber's antics. "Just because you're scared and doubt our abilities doesn't mean we are."

Bakura laughed, a short ugly bark. "To not be afraid of Yami no Malik is stupid enough, but to be so sure of your victory makes this all that much more suicidal."

Yuugi grit his teeth and tried not to launch himself at the spirit, almost failing when Bakura sent a look that quite blatantly told him he and his koiboito were going to die. The only thing that stopped him was, though it could have been a trick of the light and most likely was, the hint of compassion that he saw in those blood red depths.

"So we have to meet that kisama[6] at the well in Town Square at sunset?" Honda asked. "I don't know about you guy's, but that sounds kind of fishy to me."

Yuugi snorted. "Maybe because we're dealing with a madman?" He looked at them with pleading eyes, though the gleam in them nearly broke their hearts, with the exception of Bakura, of course. "I realize that there is a very slim chance of actually succeeding in this, but are you going to give up without even trying to save Jounouchi's life?"

Everyone looked away and couldn't meet his eyes. It was his turn for a nearly broken heart, though Marik had done quite a fine job on that already, but the look of hopelessness that he glimpsed in their eyes tore him apart.

"Shimatta!" He cursed strongly, throwing his arms up into the air, tears balancing in the corners of his eyes. "I don't know why we're here, it's not like anyone besides me realizes that Jounouchi is our friend!" He whipped around to look at Anzu, his eyes captivating and holding hers despite her strong wish to look away. "Remember when we made that pact way back in the Duelist Kingdom day's? How we promised that no matter what, we would always be there for each other? And, after all we've been through, _now_ you want to give up?"

The tears he had been trying to hold back streamed freely down his face, leaving hot tracks behind that he wiped away with the sleeve of one arm, only to have them replaced by more. The other three in the room glanced between each other but made no move to comfort their friend. His words cut deep, but they were adults now, and little kids hopes, dreams, and beliefs didn't work when you were older. There was a price for growing up, and so many people let go of their innocence without a second thought or regret.

But Yuugi had held it dear to him all his life. Even now, at twenty-one, he cherished that innocence and it had become a strong part of him that would most likely be there for a long time to come.

Yuugi cried silently for a while, the others getting up to go do something else. His heart yearned for the blonde man, who had snared his heart and trust, but his throat had clamped up and no sound would come out of it.

Yami saw that Yuugi was losing hope, and he was pained to find that he was near helpless to do anything about it. He gave a heavy sigh, one that held the weight of the world in it, the same weight that Yami felt was slowly crushing his shoulders and breaking his back. He pulled Yuugi into his soul room and sat looking at his light as Yuugi grieved silently in the main room of Yami's extensive and confusing soul room.

With another heavy sigh, he walked over to his other and touched his shoulder, a simple gesture of understanding and love that loosened Yuugi's throat and allowed him to keen. Every cry tore into Yami's soul, and his soul room mirrored his emotions. Walls collapsed and simply fell into themselves, doors cracked and blew open, stairs that led to dead ends disappeared and some even redirected themselves, and pillars toppled over with a resounding crash; all because of Yami's feelings for his aibou.

_Oh, Yuugi_, He thought sadly, his own tears streaming down his face, going unnoticed by the crushed once-pharaoh. He wrapped his arms around Yuugi, holding him tight against himself.

Yuugi immediately buried his face into his other's shoulder, clutching to him tightly. Yami had the unnerving feeling that, at the moment, he was the only thing that was keeping Yuugi from losing his sanity. His arms tightened around his light and he buried his face into Yuugi's hair.

"Mou hitori no boku," Yuugi sobbed, his words muffled by Yami's shoulder. "Tell me it's not true."

He sounded so needy, like Yami's answer would decide him. Understanding dawned on what Yuugi was talking about and Yami mulled over the question, making sure to choose his words very carefully. One wrong word would send Yuugi over the edge, he was almost sure of it.

"Shhh, little one," He soothed, rubbing Yuugi's back while his own tears soaked into Yuugi's hair. "Of course I do not wish Jounouchi dead. He makes you happy and that in turn makes me happy, but I do envy him," He said truthfully, Yuugi tensing in his arms. "And who wouldn't? He has such a carefree nature and knows what's right and what's wrong. My little light, there couldn't be anyone more suited to you than that man, and I trust him with my entire heart and soul. You could even say that I consider him to be an extension of you and therefore a kind of foster-other."

Yuugi looked up, his bloodshot eyes looking into Yami's, widening in surprise when he saw the tears streaming down his other's face. "Really?" He asked in a small voice, as if half expecting rejection.

Yami's heart cried out and he kissed Yuugi on the lips, allowing all his love and desire to flow through. When they pulled apart, it took him a moment or two to find his voice again. "Of course Yuugi," He said softly, his other's eyes widening at the use of Yuugi's first name, something that Yami had seldom done before. This alone, though the kiss had definitely helped matters, proved to Yuugi that his other meant every word he said and cared deeply about him.

Yuugi's eyes brightened and he wiped away his tears before launching himself at Yami and kissing all of his other's tears away. Yami kissed his aibou back before holding him out at arm length.

"What say we go and kick Yami no Malik's ass into the afterlife once and for all?" He asked, overjoyed when Yuugi cheered and laughed, wrapping his arms around Yami's waist and pulling him into a bruising and needy kiss that spoke volumes for his answer.

~*~*~*~*~

Yuugi sat on a bench that was directly in front of the well that he was meeting Yami no Malik at, his hands folded together on his lap and his eyes scanning the crowd gathered for any sign of the spiky haired Egyptian maniac that they despised and loathed otherwise known as Yami no Malik.

Looking at a collection of knives and daggers a little ways down the street was Yami no Bakura, his crimson eyes positively glowing at the widely ranged display of sharp objects. Yuugi rolled his eyes as he watched the thief king nonchalantly pick a dagger up off of the table and slip it inside his robe. _Thief king my ass,_ Yuugi thought quietly to himself. _If I can see him then the blindest bat on a foggy night can see him._

Anzu and Honda were sitting at an outdoor dining area behind him, their eyes watchful for Marik. They would be downright lying if they were to say they weren't terrified out of their minds. They knew what kind of madman Marik was, and they weren't exactly ecstatic about rushing to their deaths. Though a quick death would be better than this waiting that they had to endure.

Yuugi felt considerably safer with his friends nearby, though he could count on the tomb robber to disappear as soon as trouble appeared or even join up and encourage it. All in all, Yuugi felt safe, but not so safe as to be getting cocky. Who could when they were an hour from meeting the very personification of darkness and deceit?

Yuugi looked around for anything to occupy his attention, finally settling for eavesdropping on a couple of old men sitting on the bench behind him. He was surprised when he found that they were speaking Japanese, obviously not wanting to be overheard. It was also obvious that they were both pissed drunk, and getting drunker as he listened.

"Poor Annette, she never deserved to die at such a young age," One man said, his voice scratchy and his words slurred. "Especially not the way she left."

"Nobody deserves that," The second man agreed, his accent so heavy and his voice so high that it took Yuugi a few seconds to understand what he was saying. He lowered his voice conspiratorially and it was near impossible for Yuugi to make out what he was saying. "I heard that Annette wasn't the only one murdered. There were at least fifteen more people that I heard about."

Scratchy gasped. "All on the same night?" He asked, High-pitched evidently nodding because Scratchy whistled. "Che'[7], and from what I heard about Annette, she was barely recognizable. The amulet that her mother had given her on her birthday was their only means of identification."

It was High-pitched's turn to whistle. "I knew that they had all been mutilated, but not _that_ badly!" He said sorrowfully, taking a swig from his canteen. "Old Cairo just isn't as safe as it used to be," He said sorrowfully.

From there on they were slurring too much to make any sense, and Yuugi tuned out to ponder on what they said, knowing that a key piece of information was hidden somewhere in their conversation. 

/Mou hitori no boku, did you find anything weird about their conversation?/ Yuugi finally asked his other, his eyebrows and lips pulled down in a thoughtful frown.

Yami was about to lecture his light on eavesdropping when he was suddenly struck with enlightenment. //Didn't those guards-//

/Police,/ Yuugi corrected out of habit.

//Whatever. Didn't those police say that the bodies were found in Babylon?//

Yuugi's eyes widened before his brow furrowed again. /Those men are drunk; they could have gotten their cities mixed up,/ He suggested, his heart freezing and sinking directly to the pit of his stomach at what Yami was prospecting.

//It may be in our best interest to ask them.//

Yuugi nodded and turned around. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," He started in Japanese, the two men's eyes widening as they realized that their talk hadn't been as confidential as they had first thought. "And I was wondering if you would enlighten me on something?"

It was amazing at how getting caught doing something could sober a man. They looked at each other, the same thought going through their minds. _Cop._ Yuugi was willing to let them keep on believing that. "Why, sure, what did you want to know?" Scratchy finally said after High-pitched nodded his permission.

Yuugi mentally rolled his eyes. "From what my sources tell me, the murders happened in Babylon, but suddenly I hear that they were committed here in Old Cairo from you. Care to tell me why they differ?" 

He arched an eyebrow in question when the two men laughed. High-pitched finally managed to get himself under control and answered. "No offense, sir, but Old Cairo and Babylon are the exact same. When they built this here city they renamed Old Cairo as Babylon and gave this here city Cairo."

Yuugi's eyes widened and his heart nearly dropped through the bottom of his feet. He quickly thanked the two men and rushed off to gather Anzu, Honda and Bakura, having to drag the thief away from the sharp objects that he was so entranced in with some difficulty.

They were in the wrong city, and had only an hour to get to Babylon, nearly an hour and a half away driving twenty over the speed limit. Needless to say, he was panicked and downright pissed off at both himself for being so stupid not to cross reference their meeting place and at Yami no Malik for purposely leading him around by the nose.

With time running out and the sun sinking ever lower on the horizon, Yuugi drove as fast as he could, his face pale and his hand holding onto the steering wheel with a death grip. _Kami-sama give mercy to anyone who stops us,_ Yuugi thought angrily, pushing down harder on the gas pedal and lurching the Cherokee forward. He had paid the first price that the owner had offered, only stopping at the hotel long enough to dump a pile of cash onto the front desk and to gather their things.

Then they were off, with Yuugi driving, Yami no Bakura as shotgun and Honda and Anzu in the backseat, clinging to each other for comfort. Yuugi wiped a tear out of his eye as he thought about his blonde koiboito.

_Still better yet,_ Yuugi thought grimly. _May Ra help Yami no Malik when I get a hold of him. Kami knows there isn't going to be much left of him for identification when I'm through punishing him for all the pain and suffering he has put all of us through._

With that thought at the front of his mind, he once again increased the pressure of his foot on the gas pedal and the Jeep sped up, leaving a cloud of dust behind it, turned into blood by the setting sun.

The race between technology and nature was on.

~*~*~*~*~

[1]Em sen-jay, Pair-ah!- Taken directly out of the Egyptian textbooks here (I'm learning Egyptian! Cheers for me, ne?) Literally translates into: Do not worry, Pharaoh!

[2]Yami no Malik, otherwise known as Marik, calls Yuugi 'Game' for the simple reason that that is what Yuugi's name translates into in good ol' English. I think it's cute, but then again, I am seriously messed up. ^.-.^; *_less-than sane sunny smile_*

[3]Ammut- The Egyptian beast who devours the hearts of the people unworthy to continue into the afterlife. She(yes, I said _she_)'ll be mentioned again, so I thought I'd clear this up for those of you who don't know her!

[4]Make inu- Kaiba calls Jounouchi this a lot in the manga. It means pretty much translates into 'pathetic dog' and isn't a very nice thing to say. I would get miffed if I were poor Jounouchi too!

[5]Kisama- I have an entire dictionary full of swearwords from languages all over the world and I love using them! ^.-.^ Can't you tell? *_grin_* Anyway, kisama is Japanese for 'bastard'.

[6]Che'- Is usually muttered under the breath and is more or less like muttering 'Shit'. The apostrophe is a must-have, or so my hikari informs me. *_glomps Reana_* Thanks a bunch, 'kari!

And to everyone who reviewed:

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Reana1: Thank you so much for _all_ of your reviews, hikari-dearest! You are my inspiration for everything! *_glomps_* Update!! I _finally_ did!

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Guardianangeloflight: Thank you very much! I can't wait to hear from you again! ^.-.^

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Osctte BREAK: *_laughs_* Well, here is your awaited for update! My apologies that it took so long! I should be able to get Chapter four up sometime this week or next! Thank you for the comment! 

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Koishii No Tenshi: I like my long chapters as well but in my opinion I drag things out _way_ too long! Thanks!

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Paper cut16: I think I've said what I wanted to in my e-mails. Kindly refrain from wasting both your time and mine by these pointless flames. 

So thank you all! And review again! Compliment, criticize, flame, whatever!

---Jasper

**Chapter Four Trailer**

Marik's grin was disconcerting and much too wide for it to be completely healthy for the blonde standing nervously in front of him. His tongue poked out from behind his pearly whites and ran itself along his top row of teeth, caressing the Egyptian's unnaturally pointed canines. Jounouchi blanched and decided to redirect his attention somewhere else besides the ministrations of the madman's mouth; his fell on Marik's large hands, which were playing with the Sennen Rod and the understanding dawned on Jounouchi that the actions were highly suggestive. The blonde forced himself to ignore all advances on his personal and avert his gaze to the pupil-less eyes teasing him from behind sun-kissed bangs.

"Touch me..." Jounouchi warned, growling at the insane Egyptian who had seemed to have gotten rather fond of calling him Jackal and quite obviously trying to seduce him - which wouldn't work even _when_ Hell froze over; the noise rumbling out of his throat and ending in a feral snarl. His fingers were curled into claws, his arms hung loosely by his sides in a relaxed but ready-to-fight posture, and his eyes mere slits. Needless to say, he wasn't pleased.

"If that's an invitation," Marik drawled, twirling the Rod in one hand carelessly, a rather direct warning, and just in case Jounouchi still didn't get the idea, the Egyptian slid off the sheath that covered the hidden dagger inside the shaft of the Sennen Rod, motioning at the pissed off and confused blonde.

Jounouchi watched in cautious awe as a stone tablet designed to be used as some sort of table appeared between himself and Yami no Malik, the candles suspended above it illuminating it with a glow that was cruel and harsh in the endless shadows. Engraved into the top was Set, God of chaos and disorder; upon closer inspection one could see that every line was a groove, which all led to lips on each of the four corners of the tablet. Beneath each corner was a large black dish, each one having Anubis painted on in red paint that looked disturbingly like blood. Carved on each side of the tablet was the beast Ammut, her mouth open and ready to be fed every black heart sent her way.


	4. Chpater 4

Gods, has it really been two months? Sorry! I hadn't realized I was _that_ late! Well… here is the next chapter of **Ultimate Betrayal**! You can now find out what happened to Jounouchi! *_cringe_* Which reminds me… don't kill me!!!! You'll see why…

Dedicated to my hikari, as always! *_glomps Reana_*

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Disclaimer: I own nothing beyond the ring on my finger… and even that I _borrowed_ from a friend. *_cough_*Kleptomaniac!*_coughcough_*

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Warnings: Violence, language, attempted seduction via torture, yaoi and character death.

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Ultimate Betrayal

Chapter Four

__

Jackal.

Jounouchi rolled over, sharp stabs of pain shooting through him and eliciting a pained gasp from his mouth. He groaned and opened his eyes, blinking a few times to clear the haziness that surrounded the edges of his vision. He was disoriented for a minute before the realization that he was in pure darkness dawned on him.

__

Jackal.

The voice drifted out of the shadows, taunting and teasing him with promises of- well, he couldn't quite place a name to the vows, but he _could_ tell that he was intrigued. He glanced around the dark warily, trying to find the owner of the bodiless voice that continuously haunted him.

"Come out and face me!" He called out, taking no notice of the purple mist that drifted closer, curling around his feet and extending questioning tendrils to brush up against every part of his body.

__

Jackal, why do you howl?

The voice in his head sounded little more than a child's, but he wasn't fooled for a second and stayed on his guard. He knew that to succumb to the darkness was to welcome a fate worse than death; an eternity in the Shadow Realm losing his mind, until he was reduced to the mentality of a three year old girl; if he was lucky.

He slowly turned around and let out a brief yelp, stumbling backwards and falling on his ass none-too-gracefully. He grunted and propped himself on one arm so he could rub his sore behind, cracking one eye open to glare at the demon towering above him. The Eye shone brightly on the beings forehead, yet the shadows somehow managed to still shroud the entities features.

There was no fooling Jounouchi, though, and he knew who it was the moment his amber eyes had recovered from their initial surprise at seeing the figure. "What, Yami no Malik? Did someone else steal your hobby of trying to take over the world that you've resorted to sneaking up on unsuspecting, not to mention totally innocent people now?" 

Marik threw back his head and laughed, like that was the funniest thing he had heard in a long time. He continued on for quite a while, his laughter slowly- painfully slow in Jounouchi's opinion - died off until he was hiccuping the last of his chuckles away and wiping a mock-tear from one eye. Jounouchi didn't let the act fool him, though, and he didn't miss the glint in the dusky violet eyes that studied him carefully.

"Jackal has a sharp mouth tonight," Marik scolded the blonde. An evil and wicked grin spread across his features, one that caused every hair on Jounouchi's body to stand at attention. He decided that what he assumed to be the ground probably wasn't the best place for him, especially when the piece of ground was directly at the feet of a psycho, and hurriedly got to his feet. Marik's eyes raked along the blonde's body hungrily, the gleam of lust for both blood and sadistic passion plainly readable to Jounouchi. "We might just have to fix that."

Jounouchi hugged his arms to his body, half to keep himself warm against the chill of the Shadow Realm and half to stop Marik's unnerving gaze, not sure if Yami no Malik was serious or not. Then again, with the insane, who could really tell? The blonde decided that silence at the moment was probably the best path and managed to pull it off fairly well despite it being an overused and well-beaten path.

Hey, if it kept him from being overused and well beaten, he wasn't going to complain.

~*~*~*~*~

The Jeep roared into Babylon, turning a very sharp corner with a screech of tires and the inventive cursing of the people who had to jump out of the way. Yuugi paid no attention to them and kept his eyes straight ahead.

Yami no Bakura sat in shotgun with wide eyes and his arms holding onto whatever he thought would keep him from flying through the windshield should they get into a crash- and after sitting as a passenger of a driving lunatic, that could very well be at any moment.

Honda and Anzu sat in the back of the vehicle, both of them sweaty and trembling all over, clutching to each other and muttering prayers under their breath. All three of the passengers had new respect for the usually quite man that sat at the steering wheel of the Cherokee; their lives were in his hands, and they were all quite shocked at the extensive vocabulary Yuugi had seemed to gain from nowhere. He had managed to cover all insults and curses in Japanese, English, and Egyptian five times during their ride, occasionally mixing them so that all present were confused as hell.

"Fucking kisama's, who the hell allowed these chesem's[1] on the street?" Yuugi snarled, his violet eyes glaring at all who dared think about flipping the bird or cursing him back. Upon seeing the look on the face of the short man who was driving, they suddenly found a way to make themselves scarce, Yuugi long gone by then 

Bakura glanced at the enraged young man. "They're probably thinking the same thing," He pointed out, inwardly flinching when Yuugi shot a glare at him, clutching the seat in a death grip when the driver swerved sharply to avoid running over two children playing ball in the middle of the road.

"Keep your Ra-damned kids inside, you irresponsible baka parents," Yuugi muttered, twisting the steering wheel viciously to one side to avoid one of the said parents trying to rush their children off the road in front of the psycho behind the wheel. Ironic that the true psycho was sitting shotgun.

All present in the vehicle, even those who had already died of far kinder means, lurched forward when Yuugi had to slam on the brakes. This is guaranteed: play chicken with a house; the house will win.

"Baka no hikari no Pharaoh[2]! Are you trying to get us killed?" Bakura yelped, eyes piercing and mouth set into a snarl, though all that could be seen was the glint in his eyes; the sun had nearly tucked itself in for the night.

They were running out of time.

Yuugi pounded the Jeep's dashboard in frustration; the engine had just quit and Yami no Bakura was practically asking to be shot in the face. "For your information, Tomb Robber," The young man grated through his teeth, hands clenched on the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were past the point of being white and were near just cleanly falling off. "I am trying to _save_ us. If we don't make in time to save Jounouchi, I can assure you that heads will be flying; and Yami no Malik won't be behind it, either. Now, if you are done with your complaining, we have to hurry; I killed this damned piece of machinery with that last stunt. We have to walk the rest of the way."

He was already halfway out the door before he had even uttered the last sentence, and the others hesitantly followed him, picking up their pace when he pulled far ahead. They quickly found that when he said walk, he actually meant run like Ammut was hot on your heels. They also swiftly realized that Yuugi's legs had grown longer and he had gotten into shape somewhere between his high-school days and the present.

They stopped for a quick breather and to ask for directions; than they were off once again. Yuugi led the way, a torrent of emotions that collided within him and had his logical thinking rendered useless at the moment giving him the adrenaline rush he needed to power along like a tireless machine.

In the suns last dying rays they tore into the Town Square; Yuugi first, followed by Bakura whom had been relinquished control, Honda, and Anzu coming up last. Their chests heaved in an effort to pull some air into their lungs who let their misuse be known by sharp lances of pain sent up and down their sides. 

Yuugi recovered first and tried to make his way to the well, his legs giving out and collapsing beneath him. So maybe his recovery had been a little forced. Honda and Bakura stooped on either side of him, offering their shoulders for him to lean on while Anzu walked behind them in case any of them should fall.

They hobbled towards the well, the stones lined up like rows upon rows of grinning teeth that had Yuugi looking through a curtain of red rage. He noticed someone sitting on the bench in front of the well and he ripped away from his human crutches to hobble towards the figure.

Whether it was Jounouchi or Yami no Malik, he was prepared for whatever awaited him in the shadows of the well.

~*~*~*~*~

Marik's grin was disconcerting and much too wide for it to be completely healthy for the blonde standing nervously in front of him. His tongue poked out from behind his pearly whites and ran itself along his top row of teeth, caressing the Egyptian's unnaturally pointed canines. Jounouchi blanched and decided to redirect his attention somewhere else besides the ministrations of the madman's mouth; his fell on Marik's large hands, which were playing with the Sennen Rod and the understanding dawned on Jounouchi that the actions were highly suggestive. The blonde forced himself to ignore all advances on his personal and avert his gaze to the pupil-less eyes teasing him from behind sun-kissed bangs.

"Touch me..." Jounouchi warned, growling at the insane Egyptian who had seemed to have gotten rather fond of calling him Jackal and quite obviously trying to seduce him - which wouldn't work even _when_ Hell froze over; the noise rumbling out of his throat and ending in a feral snarl. His fingers were curled into claws, his arms hung loosely by his sides in a relaxed but ready-to-fight posture, and his eyes mere slits. Needless to say, he wasn't pleased.

"If that's an invitation," Marik drawled, twirling the Rod in one hand carelessly, a rather direct warning. Just in case Jounouchi still didn't get the idea, the Egyptian slid off the sheath that covered the hidden dagger inside the shaft of the Sennen Rod, motioning at the pissed off and confused blonde.

Jounouchi watched in cautious awe as a stone tablet designed to be used as some sort of table appeared between himself and Yami no Malik, the candles suspended above it illuminating it with a glow that was cruel and harsh in the endless shadows. Engraved into the top was Set, God of chaos and disorder[3]; upon closer inspection one could see that every line was a groove, which all led to lips on each of the four corners of the tablet. Beneath each corner was a large black dish, each one having Anubis painted on in red paint that looked disturbingly like blood. Carved on each side of the tablet was the beast Ammut, her mouth open and ready to be fed every black heart sent her way.

So caught up in figuring out the purpose of the tablet, he didn't register the clanking noise that echoed in the darkness until the manacles attached themselves to his wrists, ankles and neck, spreading him out like a human pentagram. He struggled against them briefly before realizing they were infused with the powers of the Shadow Realm to make them inescapable. He glared at Yami no Malik from behind his mane of hair, his lip raised in a sneer. "Didn't realize that bondage was your thing."

Marik growled and took a step towards Jounouchi, somehow managing to cover the entire distance between the two with that single stride. "You are in no position to be making assumptions," He snarled at Jounouchi, who was staring wide-eyed at how fast the Egyptian had covered the distance between them. Marik slid the cutting edge of the Sennen Rod along the blondes shoulder blades with a morbid kind of fascination, watching the skin give way to the ruling blade and the crimson tears slide free from the twin slits. 

Biting his tongue to keep from crying out in pain, he nearly severed it when the cruel blade bit into either of his wrists, drawing blood that slid down his arms. Yami no Malik grinned silently, slashing Jounouchi's shirt off, leaving the well-built blonde shirtless and exposed to the psycho's hungry eyes. Marik giggled, poking the object of his amusement in the stomach, giggling again when the mans stomach tightened and pulled away from his outstretched finger.

Pulling his hand away, he made sure to look directly at his captive while licking Jounouchi's blood off of his fingers. The light shining from the Eye on his forehead made the blood sparkle ruby bright in the beautiful darkness of the Shadow Realm. He leaned down and whispered in the blondes ear, Jounouchi not being able to even pull away thanks to the manacle quite attached to his neck. "So pretty, you are. So very pretty, don't you agree?"

Jounouchi looked at him like he was crazy, realized he _was_ insane and so opened his mouth to make some smart retort when the image of something much darker and so twisted it made the horrors of the Shadow Realm look like child's play superimposed itself on Yami no Malik's face before desperately trying to fling itself away, only to not so much disappear as to fade back into the darkness when it's attempts failed, hiding in the Egyptian to wait for the chance to escape again.

"Pretty as a butterfly[4]," He agreed, trying to find something else to look at besides the evil being in front of him, paling when he saw the tablet once again, now recognizing it to be not good.

Marik merely chuckled and held the Sennen Rod in front of him, blade down. He started to mutter something in what Jounouchi assumed to be Egyptian and the blade flared bright red before dimming slightly.

Amber eyes widened as he saw the dagger glow red hot, yelping when the chains suddenly jerked and slammed him down on the tablet. _Yeah, this could definitely be considered_ not _good_, Jounouchi thought dryly, becoming suddenly aware of the tendrils of purple mist that the Shadow Realm curling around his wounds, tingeing red and pulsating in time with his rapid-fire heart. _No, and undoubtedly not very safe for my health, either._

To which a tiny voice in the back of his mind replied _No dah!_

Helpful, bodiless voice of my imagination, very_ helpful._

"I hope Jackal likes fire," Marik droned, interrupting Jounouchi's inner dialogue. Out if the corner of his eye he could see the Egyptian standing beside him, dagger in one hand and what looked to be a bowl in the other.

He watched as Yami no Malik dipped the searing dagger into the bowl, steam billowing upwards only to be swallowed by the utter darkness of the shadows. The dagger came out coated in what looked to be a pitch-black liquid that could have been mistaken for blood if not for the color. The only warning he had was Marik's playful smirk before the dagger was drawn across his skin, the scorching blade cauterizing the wound and sealing in the mysterious liquid that the blade had been coated in. Blood spilt onto the tablet and leaked into the grooves, finding its way to the lips of the table and into the four pots.

His screams echoed in the black rage of the shadows, and the questing tendrils absorbed his blood and throbbed in tune to his pulse, coiling around his thrashing form in a ballad of blood and death.

Yami no Malik merely grinned none-too-sanely and continued his artistic strokes of the dagger, pausing only to dip the blade into the bowl before once again taking it to the very vocal canvas in front of him.

~*~*~*~*~

Yuugi collapsed halfway to the well, this time managing to pick himself up off the ground without the aid of his friends. He lurched back to his unsteady feet and continued his hands held around the Puzzle, both to reassure himself and protect the item and the spirit housed within.

It was now dark out, the moon hidden behind the buildings and the stars so little light they were of little help. Consequently, visibility was nonexistent. When Yuugi was within a few feet of the bench where the figure rested, he gathered a small amount of Yami no Magick[5] that he fed into the Sennen Puzzle. The item began to glow and let off a fair amount of light; as long as it had the Yami no Magick to sustain it, the Puzzle would continue to emit a soft glow that could turn into a dazzling bright light should the holder wish it.

Yuugi dared not look at who was sitting on the bench just yet. He gave himself a few moments before he finally took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders and turned to the figure.

Bakura, Honda and Anzu all jumped as a scream pierced the silent night. They all glanced between one another before it dawned on them that it had been Yuugi; then they were off and making their way towards the young man as fast as their screaming muscles would allow. 

They had seen the soft glow of the Puzzle, but had been unable to make out any distinguishing features of the slouched shape in the shadows. They were all picturing worst-case scenarios in their minds; Bakura getting a double dose no thanks to his ever so helpful and imaginative tomb robber in his mind.

They reached Yuugi in what seemed like hours but had in fact been but a few moments. He was a broken mess and they were all afraid to touch him lest he lash out and possibly do something that he would regret later. It was then that they saw the Puzzle laying by his feet. Now they knew something was wrong.

Yami no Bakura once again came out of hiding, though he would never title it such a mundane term as that, and he took matters into his own hands. The bright light that flashed from the Ring lit up the entire area, and it took a few moments for his eyes to get adjusted to the dazzling but steady light. When he could see moderately well, he turned his attention to the bench and promptly heard his omote throwing up in his soul room.

Jounouchi was staring up at him with staring eyes, blood trickling from the corners and his mouth agape in a silent plea for help. It was a little bit too late for any sort of help, though. He had been decapitated, a rather crude job from the looks of the cut line on his neck, and his head had been sewn onto the body of a dog that the tomb robber could recognize immediately.

That of a jackal.

[1] chesem- eh, Egyptian for dog. *_grin_* Oh Seto!

[2] Baka no hikari no Pharaoh- okay, so I don't know if this is actually a real sentence, but I was aiming for 'fool of the light of the Pharaoh!' Did I even hit slightly close? 

[3] Set- alright, so I really have no idea what he is god for, but that is my take on him and I think Yami no Malik would most likely worship him if any of the gods. (Ya know, other than himself! *_sweatdrop_*)

[4] Okay, so I'm obsessed with butterflies, so sue me. A plug for my other fic **Butterflies**. Wow, na no da, eh?

[5] Yami no Magick- no, it's not a misspelling! Translates into Dark Magic or Shadow Magic, but I'm sure you could have figured that out on your own! ^.-.^ Anyway, I spelt magick like I did because it is how it was originally spelt when it pertained to actual magick and not the 'magic' of the illusionists such as Pandora ;or Arcana as he's known in the dub. Plus Magick makes for easier plural: Magick's to Magic's... Well is made sense to me! *_nodnod_*

Reviewers Reply:

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Malik Ishtal0607: Eh-heh… *_sweatdrops_* I don't suppose two bloody months could be considered 'soon'? 

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Reana1: *_glomps_* I UPDATED!!! YAY! And you better come see me soon… I miss my music! And my hikari of course! *_pouncesnuggle_*

So… please don't kill me! *_begs_* I love Jounouchi dearly! It seems that all the favorite characters of us author's seem to go through the most abuse, ne? But fear not! Jounouchi will make a comeback! It's going to be one hell of a show so stick around! And **_review!_**

---Jasper

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Chapter Five Trailer:

//Aibou?// Yami's tentative voice asked from the depths of Yuugi's mind. The young man sighed and pulled his barriers tighter into himself, to no avail. Hurt flowed from Yami through their link. //What's wrong, little one?//

/Everything!/ Yuugi exploded, slowing down until he was doing a fast walk. 

Yami mentally arched an eyebrow and sent a soothing caress towards his lost other. //Care to expand?//

Yuugi growled and dodged the warmth that filtered through his barriers. Even his other half pitied him. He answered the once-pharaoh carefully while going over his barriers and strengthening them subtly. /Would you like me to make a list?/ He growled, lacing together two walls of his barrier. /Let's see: Jounouchi is dead, my 'friends' would rather forget any of this happened than deal with it, I received a mysterious package from a freaky spirit wearing a bath towel on his head that I have to open or something will happen to you and me and if I don't open it something even worse will occur and if I open it at the wrong time all hell will break loose!/

He patched a hole in another of his walls while Yami mulled over what he had said so far, but he was far from finished. /Not to mention that not only has the tomb robber been unusually nice, but he has even been helping me!/ This brought a startled exclamation from Yami that Yuugi lost through the thickness of his as of two seconds ago one way barriers. /Oh! And to add the last piece to the puzzle, so to speak, you play the innocent watcher who is a shoulder to cry on and a fuck buddy on the side. Well, I'm sick of it!/

With that final assessment he pulled the barriers in on himself. They closed around his mind like a second skin, both flawless and perfect in every way. Yami threw everything he had at the barrier his hikari had erected with little luck. While being impassable they were also flexible and hurled his attacks right back at him. 

Yuugi resumed running now that he could think for himself with no one - especially forgotten Pharaoh's - could impede or alter his thoughts. He was thinking for himself, and only one thought surfaced to his mind, as attention grabbing and desirable as a sex god walking down main street.

__

Join him. Join Jounouchi.


End file.
